


Stitches: Springtime

by heartdontfailmenow



Series: Stitches [3]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Frohana (Disney), Gen, Mama Elsa, New mom fluff, This one's pure saccharine guys, shardsverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25549918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartdontfailmenow/pseuds/heartdontfailmenow
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Disney), Elsa (Disney)/Original Male Character(s)
Series: Stitches [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842841
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Elsa was tired and wanted to sleep until autumn. She was idle, forced to stay in bed for several hours, and still counting, everybody coming to her, speaking in whispers, tiptoeing around her. Again. She was sore, her entire body aching and protesting whenever she so much as shifted her weight.

And she was happy. So very happy.

Elsa had been staring inside the bassinet right next to the bed when she heard, yet again, whispers in the hallway. “Just a minute”, she thought, not tearing her eyes away from the sleeping infant, no longer crying and red faced, but serene and rosy cheeked, rosebud lips quirked as she yawned in her sleep, and tiny, impossibly tiny hands opening and closing.

“Nothing will ever harm you. Not while I’m around.” Elsa wanted to protect her from every scraped knee, every thorn in her finger, every broken heart, every feeling of doubt or shame or fear—- or being unloved.

Thirteen years of shut doors. Of listening to Anna beg for her to come out. Of hiding.

Out of love. Out of cowardice. Out of her own selfishness.

_No. Never again._

She knew, of course she knew, that she couldn’t protect her from everything.

But damn if she wasn’t going to try.

“How could I have ever feared meeting you?”

Nine months. Nine months she carried this beautiful, perfect creature, and she spent them in a constant state of fear. Sure, there were moments. Anna’s elated reaction. Kristoff at a loss for words when she asked him to be godfather. Neta bouncing at the thought of a playmate. Alarik when she first began to show. But for every good thing, there seemed to be ten more that terrified Elsa .

And now she would take a thousand more as long as it meant having her.

She’ll teach her not to run away from them. But it’s Aunt Anna who’ll teach her to face them.

Lord, she didn’t deserve this . She didn’t deserve someone so perfect, pure as the last of the freshly fallen snow. But for all the mistakes she’s made in her life, here she saw that, maybe for once, she must’ve done something good.

She had gotten good at listening to voices outside closed doors anyway.

This wasn’t Gerda giving orders to everyone, instructing Leisel on how to prepare the tea just the way Elsa likes it, sending the staff for more pillows, telling Kai “the official announcement can wait , she needs her rest”.

Not Anna, Anna’s always had trouble whispering, especially in the state of excitement she’s been in the past few hours, squealing at just the mention of the new baby, telling the story to anyone who would listen.

_“Ohhh, she’s got Elsa’s eyes and nose and just the prettiest wispy curls I’ve ever seen, we have a third member of the redhead club, and ten little fingers and ten of the cutest little toes, and -oh Elsa likes flower based teas better, and iced once it’s no longer winter, but it’s okay, she does it herself, dinner was delicious by the way- and Alarik told me Mama did wonderfully, Mama Elsa, can you believe it? I knew she would, but those were the longest three hours of. my. life. and I was just outside, but ohhh so worth it, she’s such a tiny thing, could’ve carried her in one hand but they said ‘ANNA NO,’ and so warm and soft, oh this is just the best day”_

No, these were most definitely whispers.

“Papa, I’ll be real quiet, I promise”  
“Come on Neta, I know you want to meet your baby cousin but”  
“Mama got to see her already “  
“Yes but-“  
“Papa, Aunt Elsa wasn’t at my tea party today, she missed the chocolate cake I asked Leisel to make, she had seven last week, is she sick?”

“She’s not.”  
A new, still familiar voice now.  
The sound of a child being lifted up. “Would you like to meet your cousin?

“Alarik, it’s alright, I’m sure Elsa needs her slee-”  
“Would you like to meet her too?”  
_“Yes. “_

Elsa turned her eyes away from the baby, her daughter , to the door.

A pair of amber eyes peeked through the door, crinkling at the sight before him. Kristoff leaned on the door frame, smiling at the sight of his sister in law.

Alarik took careful steps towards her, Neta in his arms, her round eyes growing even rounder as they got closer.

Even after four years, some things never change.

 _Alarik reached out and gently wiped his thumb down her cheeks, clearing away the tears. “Are you the young princess?”  
Neta nodded, wide-eyed. She sniffled.  
“Would you like to see your aunt Elsa?”  
Another nod.  
And he picked her up, stood with her, and walked her to Elsa. As simple as that, and she accepted it, and Elsa just stared at them, feeling as nonplussed as the two-year-old had been.  
_  
And yet, everything can change.

Elsa made a move to straighten up.

“Darling, don’t.” Alarik walked towards her, Neta clutching his shoulder on one hand, a bouquet of crocuses from the garden on the other, and a messily wrapped package under her arm. He attempted to reach a hand out to fix Elsa’s blanket.

“I got it” Kristoff said, tucking Elsa in and looking down fondly. “How’s new mama?”

“Sore. Tired. Feel like I’ve been hit by your sled again.” But Elsa was grinning up at him, weak but sure, and the two shared a knowing smirk, eyes glinting with mischief.

“Aunt Elsa, is that why you weren’t able to come to tea party today? Svenina missed you, she had no one to help feed her while I was passing out cups, and her fur got tea on it. Gerda had to take her to laundry ”, Neta said, wrinkling her nose.

“Oh my, we wouldn’t want that now, would we, Neta?”

The little girl jumped out of Alarik’s arms , landing on her feet with a resounding thump, and climbed next to Elsa, burrowing close. Elsa winced slightly, and Alarik caught her eye as she sucked in a sharp breath. She shook her head at him no, and started running her fingers through Neta’s hair, soft and golden. Neta was no longer the baby of the castle, and Elsa knew, oh, she knew. Hazy memories of waiting in her room, wondering where Mama was, why Papa was so fidgety, why Gerda kept trying to distract her and yet was distracted herself, and “Mama, I want Mama.“

"Auntie, I missed you.” Neta said, voice muffled, from tears or otherwise, Elsa wasn’t sure. Face still buried in Elsa’s chest, she stuck the bouquet out from underneath her stomach, which she was lying on.

“I missed you too. I’m sorry I missed your-”  
They both looked up at the sound of a baby beginning to fuss.

“Neta. Neta, remember, we had to be quiet, your aunt and cousin need their rest”  
“Kristoff. It’s fine.” Elsa once again made a move to get up, and once again, for the nth time that day, Alarik put a gentle hand on her shoulder to stop her.

She watched as he walked over to the bassinet, the cries coming from it not getting any softer, but the closer he got, the wider his already wide smile became.

_That smile. It’s huge. And toothy. And takes up his entire face. It’s ridiculous._

“ Hush now, none of that. Your Mama needs her rest. See that pretty lady lying there? That’s her.” he murmured, moving towards the bed, a gentle, lolling walk, his eyes never leaving their baby. “ Mama’s still pretty even if she’s stubborn and won’t sleep.”

“ I’m a mother, not an invalid. ”

_There it is again._

“Repeat that last sentence , Darling? ”

_I hope she has it._

From the corner of her eye, she saw Neta looking on beside her, hesitant and unsure, and yet leaning as close to the bundle as possible, getting on her knees.

“ Would you like to hold her ?” Elsa asked her, nodding towards her husband.

“ Oh I see how it is, you’re letting her go first, ” Kristoff mumbled, but his eyes spoke mirth. Scooting behind Neta, he tucked his enormous arms around Neta’s little ones and sat still on the bed as a sniffling bundle was placed in Neta’s arms. He showed her how to support the tiny, tiny head, and Neta looked up at him and smiled, a sweet, gap toothed thing, when the baby finally began to quiet. He beamed.

For a moment, Elsa’s eyes met her husband’s, before he looked away quickly, hiding his eyes underneath his curls.

“Auntie? “  
“Yes dear?”  
“That’s for baby “

Neta nodded towards the messily wrapped package at the foot of the bed, before beginning to nuzzle her nose on her cousin’s.

Elsa leaned towards it, reaching out and hiding a grimace when a dull pain shot out.

“ Oh no you don’t. ” Alarik rushed forward, picking up the package as he approached. Handing it to her, he rubbed small circles on her back until her breathing evened and she settled back in the blankets.

Taking her hands in his, he undid the hastily tied piece of string, the paper coming off easily. Out fell a large, faded blanket, soft from decades of use, smelling faintly of soap and yet —-

Like her mama’s study, of dusty books, of chamomile tea, of chocolate biscuits

_“Mama?”  
“Yes, sweetheart? “  
“Will…will you give this to Anna for me please?”_

Gloved hands trembling, but stitches as even as ever, making the flowers Anna so favored bloom across the fabric.

And now, messy stitches lining the blanket’s edge. Loose knots, uneven letters, a different colored thread for each, spelling “Love you”. A child’s handiwork.

“It’s perfect.”  
______________________________________________

Setting the lamp on the wall, a new aunt gently half closed the door behind her, wincing at the resounding creak, and looked at the large bed.

Shouldn’t have worried. They’re all passed out.

Her little girl sprawled out on the foot the bed, face on her father’s stomach, as she would do so often as a baby, finding comfort in the softness. Her sister, her exhausted, stubborn, stinker, lioness of a sister, getting some well earned sleep, hand falling off the bedside, clutching a bouquet. Anna eased it out, setting it in a glass on the dresser before placing two rag dolls next to it, watching over everyone.

_My girls._

Her husband, also asleep on the foot of the bed, hand on their daughter’s hair, snoring so loud she was surprised he didn’t wake half the castle. Her brother in law, right next to Elsa, curls askew and going in his mouth every time he breathed in.

_My boys._

Her eyes traveled down to the bundle on Alarik’s chest and was met with heavy lidded blue eyes, so much like her own, and yet Elsa’s all the way. They blinked slowly at her.

I am going to spoil you so much, your mama’s gonna have to declare more holidays to explain all your presents.

She burrowed close to her sister and set the blanket over everyone, her eyes never leaving those tiny, sleepy ones that closed once again.

“ You’ll always know what love is.”  
______________________________________________

Everyone was fast asleep when Gerda came up to collect the evening tea. The not so little family slept right through that evening, save for a few quick feedings, a welcome respite before the sleepless nights sure to come. Nights were growing shorter as the air began to grow warmer , and a new day came early, peeking through the window, reflecting on the clear, still waters of the fjord and casting light on the fresh dew in the gardens.

And in that bouquet by the bedside, amongst the crocuses, a single white snowdrop.


	2. Bonus Scene

“Oh, let them both sleep in, they had a long day yesterday ”  
“Yeah they should-hey-excuse me mister but Elsa did all the work “  
“The man just delivered his own kid, I’m pretty sure he deserves some of the credit”  
“I’ll give him 12 percent of the credit “  
“Mama, Papa, they’re sleeping,shhhhh…”

Anna whirled around at the sound of blankets rustling. “Oh Elsa, you’re up! Sorry, sorry, go back to sleep” she rushed over to her sister and fluffed her pillow.

Elsa burrowed deeper in her pillow and frowned.

“But the trade agreements-”  
“Can wait. I’ll take care of it, you just had a child, sis”  
“But-“  
“No buts. Now take a cue from the rest of the redhead club and beat it. And by beat it, I mean sleep. Princess’ orders.”

Elsa looked at her husband beside her, wincing slightly as she turned. His curls were a ridiculous mop, dark circles under his eyes, mouth wide open. And asleep on his chest, nestled in those arms she trusted more than anything, their daughter. Their daughter.

She wanted to kiss him right then and there.

“We’ll give you two some privacy ” Anna whispered, kissing her forehead.

“Three!” piped Neta.

“Alright Feistypants, Diapeypants, let’s go”, Kristoff told his two girls, giving his third girl a quick peck on the cheek. “Get your beauty sleep, Mama, or my goddaughter’s gonna give you a run for your money”

“Dear brother, what makes you think she hasn’t already? “

Neta climbed up on the bed again, making sure to be extra careful this time, and gave Elsa a kiss too. “Bye Auntie! Don’t forget this time, tea party next week! ” Her parents were standing at the doorway, and she jumped off the bed to join them, before turning around. “Bring Jenny!”

Elsa chuckled, “I’m not sure about Jenny, but I will most definitely try. Thank you for the flowers by the way, you do know my favorite. “

Neta giggled. “Those weren’t from me, he just needed someone to hold them!” she said as she skipped off, hand in hand with Kristoff and Anna, jumping up and swinging whenever they lifted their arms .

The crocuses were on her bedside table. She looked at them closely, the first blooms after the long winter, and took a whiff of their perfume. And there, by the lone snowdrop, a card.

_Darling,_

_Thank you._

_\- Goose_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alarik's nickname is Goose :D


End file.
